Paging the computer physician

MOSES LAKE — Customers essentially have one typical reaction when they call up Kurt Oberloh, Jr.

"Most of the time, it's 'Oh, my god! My computer won't turn on,' or 'I was just in the middle of doing some homework and this happened,'" he said with a laugh.

Oberloh opened The Bulldog Information Technologies in April 2004.

"I'm a long time citizen, my wife and I have been here for many years and we just figured this is where we are going to raise our kids, so we might as well plant some good roots," he explained.

The business specializes in on-site technical support, Oberloh said, adding that a person can also bring their computer in to the Bulldog office, located at 309 E. Broadway Ave.

"Most of the calls are pretty basic, and we can fix it right there," he said. "Some we have, some we have to bring back or we can build and make things better and improve or upgrade new systems … We also do a lot of training, showing people how to use the Internet, how to use their computer."

That can include assisting people in learning how to use different software to help their businesses or setting up networks.

"We've got clients everywhere from doctors and lawyers — I've set up doctors and lawyers's offices and personal — to just Grandma down the street wanting to learn to use eBay," Oberloh said.

The name of the company comes from a family pet.

"I was trying to find something that's different," he explained. "There's a lot of computer geeks and a lot of 'Computer This,' 'Computer That,' so I figured something that's a little more catchy, so we used our bulldog as a mascot and it just kind of went from there."

The Bulldog Information Technologies presently employs three people, including Oberloh, his wife of six years and a technician.

Oberloh said he bought his first computer around 2000.

"It was just something I liked doing, and was helping people on the side do this kind of stuff," he said. He ended up getting trained at an online college, and proceeded from there.

Oberloh said he finds every call in to his company interesting.

"Which each one, it's a little bit different," he said, recalling a call where the computer would not post. "I'm sitting there, scratching my head, 'What is going on? All the connections are right.' It ended up being a $7 battery on the motherboard, and I'm sitting there going, 'It's always the last thing you think of.'"

But each call is individual, he thinks.

"This is more than just working retail," Oberloh said. "This is working with people. It's like their computer becomes part of their family, their best friend, their way to communicate with the world, and whatnot, so they're more reliant … It's almost like working with another human being, almost as a doctor type of deal."

The company has had a lot of word of mouth response, and referrals from people Oberloh doesn't even know, he said.

"People are liking that they don't have to take their computer in to someone they don't know," he said. "One of my clients is a lawyer, and there's personal information. He can't just let anyone at his computer, for personal confidentiality purposes. So I go in there, he's there, so he can see we're working and getting it done and we're not worrying about any privacy laws. It's done right there, his computer never leaves his office."

The company, most of the time, is capable of having a 24-hour response time and turnaround, which is one of the reasons for customers to be so pleased, he postulated. While the Bulldog tries to have someone at the office during the day, most of the business is by appointment as needed.

"I have one customer who says that he is not afraid to use his computer any more," Oberloh said. "He was quite worried before because he didn't want to screw it up. He goes, 'Well, I'm not worried anymore because I know if anything screws up, I call my computer guru.'"

The Bulldog Information Technologies can be reached at 509-765-4849 or toll-free at 877-253-4703, or by e-mail at bulldogit@qwest.net.